The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday announced a review that could eventually lead to the end of PVC plastic production -- impacting everything from records to rubber ducks.

Vinyl chloride, which is used in the manufacturing and processing of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), was officially classified as a human carcinogen in 1974 and banned in hair sprays, refrigerants, cosmetics and drugs.

It is the same chemical that burned in a tower of black smoke over an Ohio town where a train derailed earlier this year.

But it continues to be widely used to make PVC water lines, siding panels for houses, and product packaging -- as well as vinyl records and bathtub toys.

An EPA statement on the review, which includes four other chemicals, said the step was "consistent with a commitment from the Biden-Harris Administration to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures" as part of President Joe Biden's "Cancer Moonshot" initiative.

Reacting to the news, Judith Enck, president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator told AFP: "Today is step one, and we've been waiting for step one for decades."

National, state and city governments across the world have been steadily tightening restrictions on PVC usage and disposal.

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